CULTIVATIONTIPS DLV PLANT MUSHROOMS CAC, a specialised art
Adding compost to casing soil during, or just after, casing positively impacts on the speed of growth. In fact, if two growing rooms are fi lled at the same time, varying the amount of CAC in both rooms can help shift the moment of picking, so that organising harvesting is easier. This clearly illustrates just how important the amount, and evenness of application, is. As the majority of growers opt to apply CAC using a CAC-axle on the fi lling machine, they lack a clear idea of how much compost is actually being mixed through the casing soil. A uniform fi lling weight of compost, i.e. a constant supply of compost dosed by the chain on the fi lling machine, is essential. This is the only way to ensure that CAC is also even. The true amount is often between 150 and 600 g / m2
.
By Erik Polman, DLV Plant Mushrooms
e.polman@dlvplant.nl
In line with how wet and coarse the casing soil is, the more compost will easily stick to this casing layer. You hardly need to touch the compost to add suffi cient CAC. If the fi lling depth is altered, the axle used to add compost at casing must be modifi ed too. CAC is not entirely risk-free. Adding too much compost at casing can seriously complicate pinheading, as few or no pinheads will appear on compost. Adding too much can bring too much speed into cultivation. For the best results, a critical eye, experience and practiced teamwork at fi lling are essential keys to success. For the fi rst 36 hours, spraying will have to be done more or less relying on instinct. You can’t see any mycelium, but you will have to spray to restrain the amount of mycelium. Some 10-14 litres/m2
should be applied in the fi rst 90 minutes. Then spray relative to the extent of mycelium growth. If it grows too fast, increase the number of spraying sessions – not necessarily the total volume of water sprayed.
Correctly balanced climate installation
By Jan Gielen, DLV Plant Mushrooms Manager / Climate & Energy Specialist
j.gielen@
dlvplant.nl
A climate installation should be correctly balanced, so that even at lower air inlet positions the right mix of fresh and recirculated air is still obtained. The volume of fresh air is determined not only by the air inlet position and fan speed, but also by the resistance over the inlet fi lter and positive pressure fi lters. For a good balance of fresh air, a restriction in the recirculated air opening is important. This resistance should equal the sum of the resistance over the air inlet and positive pressure fi lters. Only then will, e.g. a 50 % air inlet position give an even mix of fresh and recirculated air. For the air inlet fi lters, approximately a half fi ne fi lter cassette with a coarse fi lter is required per 100 m² growing surface area, in other words a complete fi ne fi lter cassette of 60 cm square and 30 cm deep fi tted with a coarse fi lter per 200 m² growing surface area. For the positive pressure, apply a norm of 0.4 m² eff ective positive pressure surface area (coarse fi lter or aphid mesh), per 100 m² growing surface area. The restriction required in the recirculated air inlet is more diffi cult to indicate (except via air fl ow measurement) as this fi gure relates to the resistance of the inlet and positive pressure fi lters. It should be obvious that less restric- tion is necessary if e.g. no fi ne fi lters are fi tted in the air inlet. If the inlet and positive pressure fi lters comply with the standard stated above, as an indication you can reduce the size of the circulated air opening to no more than a remaining eff ective fl ow of 0.08 m² per 100 m² growing surface area. A commonly used form of restriction is a grid. This will guarantee the correct mix of fresh and recirculated air even in the lower ranges of the air inlet.
The currently available information on energy saving and sustainable technical developments is being presented to growers in a series of eight articles and tips. This project has been commissioned and funded by the Steering Committee Clean & Effi cient Mushroom Growing (LTO Vakgroep Paddenstoelen, PT, Ministry of Economic Aff airs,
RVO.nl and mushroom growers). This is the sixth tip in the series.
38 MUSHROOM BUSINESS
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